Man allegedly chokes Starbucks employee

A man was arrested at a Mill Valley Starbucks Friday evening for allegedly choking an employee there and trying to take his phone after the employee asked him to leave and took pictures of his motorcycle to report to police.

The employee at the Starbucks at 45 Camino Alto asked the suspect, a man known in Starbucks locations throughout Marin County, to leave at about 5 p.m. because of his behavior, police said.

The man refused to leave, and the employee started taking pictures with his cellphone to document the man’s Harley Davidson motorcycle, which was parked on the front lawn of the coffee shop, police said.

The man demanded the employee stop taking pictures and tried to take his phone. When the employee refused, the man allegedly hit him in the face and then put him in a chokehold to try to take his phone, police said.

Police arrived as the man was leaving and quickly detained him.

The employee and witnesses at the Starbucks described the confrontation and police arrested the man on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and attempted robbery.